MY MAY 2026—BLOG

Anita and her lobster in Wells, Maine.

Last year at this time, Anita, Deb, and I made it to New York after four days of driving, 2,000 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico. That day, as we crossed the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey, the Manhattan skyline came into view as we crept along in rush-hour traffic. It was a return to our birthplace, which we left over 50+ years ago. From there, we made our way to Deb’s home in Kings Park on Long Island’s North Shore. The next day, we signed the lease for our condo in Middle Island, about 30 minutes from Deb. And what a year it has been.

Before we left Santa Fe, we got rid of a lot of old stuff. That lowered our moving expenses in both pounds and dollars, which meant replacing some of what we had given to charities, friends, and our cleaning lady. Deb and David bought us a new TV and sound bar. That was so sweet. We found a new dining table and chairs that we liked. Our new place was much smaller than our Santa Fe condo, so we had to purchase metal shelving for our pantry and laundry room. They gave us the option to rent a washer and dryer or to purchase our own; we chose to purchase our own. We also got a new dresser for our bedroom.

As we settled into the new place, we had to get new license plates, car insurance, and medical insurance. Talk about sticker shock. Everything I mentioned doubled from what we were paying in Santa Fe. Our son-in-law, David, a medical insurance professional, helped us secure medical and prescription coverage.

The move took a big hit on our savings. But that’s why you work and save most of your life—to enjoy your retirement years.

We just renewed our lease for another year. And our rent went up. At around the same time, our medical insurance went up. If you are considering moving to another state, check out the price of medical insurance premiums. We found that Medicare Plan G premiums vary by state.

These days, we’re looking to buy a new couch with built-in recliners. Our couch belonged to my parents. We had it reupholstered when we moved to Colorado. Lately, due to back problems, it feels very uncomfortable.

We’re also considering purchasing a new car. This is a tough one because I’m driving a 2003 Toyota 4-Runner (Anita no longer drives). The car is in good condition despite several accidents in Santa Fe, and the mileage is low for its age. I’m turning 81 in a couple of weeks. I have to consider my age; how much longer can I drive? Should I lease a brand-new car? Or should I buy a used one? That's what I would like to do. I wanted to switch to a hybrid, but they are about $4,000 more than a gas guzzler. So maybe I would be better off getting a gasoline-fueled car with better mileage. I don’t drive that much. Whether I decide on new or used, that will trigger higher car insurance premiums.

We’ve done a lot of fun things on Long Island. Anita and I celebrated our 50^th anniversary. Where have all those years gone? Since we settled here, there have been family birthday celebrations. We celebrated my 80^th birthday, Anita’s 78^th, and Deb’s 60^th with dinner at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in New York City.

A friend in our community has a rock ' n ' roll band. We went to several different venues to hear them play—some at the beach in the evening. The famous San Gennaro Feast from Little Italy has a life of its own on Long Island. We went for the Zeppolas, sausage-and-pepper sandwiches, and music by a band playing 70s rock ‘n’ roll. On a Sunday afternoon last summer, we went to see a very good play directed by our daughter’s friend. The 50+ community where we live has parties throughout the year. They always have good food, music, games, prizes, and an opportunity to make new friends. Speaking of food, pizza is one of my favorites, and I eat it several times a week.

One of our reasons for moving here is healthcare. In Santa Fe, we had a difficult time seeing doctors because there is a shortage of them. Here we have plenty of doctors. Now, we complain that most of our week is spent going to doctor appointments. Are we never satisfied? We still suffer from the same age-related aches and pains.

As many of you know, I had cervical neck surgery. I’ve recovered well, so to celebrate, we recently spent a week in Wells, a small town near Kennebunkport on the southeast coast of Maine. The weather was still chilly, and we had several rainy days. Nevertheless, it was a relaxing week. I worked on my new novel every day. That was very productive. We had some wonderful seafood.

This is a real estate office in Wells, Maine

To get there, we took a ferry from Port Jefferson, 20 minutes from our home. It’s a little over an hour ride across Long Island Sound to Bridgeport, Connecticut. It knocked off about 2 hours from the drive. On the way home, we didn’t take the ferry because the fare for us and the car was $101. We had a free Marriott night, so we drove to Tarrytown, New York, and spent the night. To our surprise, there was a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the hotel. We had a delicious steak dinner. The next day, we drove home through the Bronx, Queens, and Long Island traffic. It took us a little over two hours.

Now, it’s the Memorial Day weekend. The forecast calls for rain so that outdoor activities may be on hold until Monday. But we are celebrating our 51^st anniversary. We're going to try a local seafood restaurant we’ve never been to. Then my birthday is a week later, and the following weekend we celebrate Anita’s birthday. They say we’re going to have a hot summer. I hope to spend more time at our pool and at some of Long Island’s beautiful beaches.

We love spending time with this little guy.

I must say, I miss Santa Fe, but we’re enjoying our time with family, especially Great-Grandson Caleb, who will soon be three years old. We love watching him grow up.

While on my website, look at some of my books. I’m sure there are one or two you haven’t read. They make excellent beach reads.

HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL!